


Constant Companion

by vanillalime



Category: Oz (TV)
Genre: Community: hardtime100, Family Dynamics, Future Fic, Gen, Mental Instability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 11:06:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19294471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillalime/pseuds/vanillalime
Summary: Holly has a plan, and she turns to an unlikely source for the strength and courage to carry it out.





	Constant Companion

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted from LiveJournal. Written for the Hardtime100 challenge prompt "Raise Hell." A shout-out of thanks to drsquidlove for the idea.

Holly sits behind the wheel of a nondescript car parked near the side of the road. It's a carefully chosen spot, in the middle of a small clearing hidden from view by a cluster of trees. From here, she can just make out the guard towers and rolls of barbed wire. Chewing on a fingernail, she frets, wondering how much longer he's going to be.  
  
She studies her road map again, even though she’s got every possible color-coded route to the border memorized. She double-checks the presence of the duffle bag, stuffed with so much cash that it barely fits under the seat. She impatiently strums her fingers on the Tupperware container holding her infamous carrot cake, the one with the special cream cheese frosting that Lopresti loves so much.  
  
The one that has a .22-caliber derringer buried inside of it.  
  
Then finally, _finally_ , he slides into the car, and Holly breathes a sigh of relief.  
  
She always feels so much better when Gary is around.  
  
Holly smiles fondly at the young man beside her. Gary’s spiritual form is a faultless maturation of the boy he’d once been, aging in death as he would have in life, and his poised demeanor is reassuring.  
  
"Everything looks good," he tells her. "The door for Stairwell B has been propped open, so there’s a clear path to the kitchen. The stock truck pulled into the loading dock five minutes ago, right on schedule."  
  
The voice he uses is a calm one, and his eyes twinkle as he smiles back at her. He reminds her so much of their grandfather, full of patience and understanding, warmth and compassion. The unwavering camaraderie they share with each other is somewhat of a surprise, given her own intrinsic temperament.  
  
For Holly is truly her father’s daughter, a deceptively-contained wrecking ball of rage yearning to be unleashed.  
  
"Nice work," she says. "And the keys to the truck?"  
  
"Still in the ignition."  
  
Holly laughs lightly. This is going to be easier than she’d imagined. She’ll have the truck out of Oz and back here before anyone has had time to recover from what she’s done.  
  
Regaining her composure, she asks, "Did you see Dad?"  
  
There’s an unmistakable hesitation before Gary answers, "Yes."  
  
"What? He doesn’t suspect anything, does he?"  
  
"No, not at all. But I think, perhaps, he might’ve recently spent time in the hole."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"He’s got that look."  
  
Holly nods her head. She knows that look. She’s seen it before. Sometimes she sees it when she looks in the mirror.  
  
"Well, maybe that’s something we can work to our advantage," she declares. She sits still for a moment, then clears her throat. Gripping the Tupperware, she haltingly asks, "Any sign of Mr. Murphy?"  
  
Gary looks directly at her. "No, I don’t think he’s working this morning."  
  
"Oh, good," she mumbles.  
  
"Would it have made a difference?"  
  
Holly turns her head and looks out the window. She doesn’t answer the question.  
  
Instead, she watches a hawk as it swoops in from out of nowhere, settling in a nearby tree. A red squirrel jumps from one branch to the next, and a leaf falls to the ground, glistening gold in the early morning sunshine.  
  
"We should get going," Gary gently prods.  
  
"Yes, of course. You’re right."  
  
"It’s not too late to change your mind, you know."  
  
Holly stiffens, then quickly opens the car door. "I’m not going to change my mind," she snaps defensively before stepping out of the car. Balancing her carrot cake in one hand, she slams the door shut with the other.  
  
Gary glances toward the backseat as he passes through the car to join her. "Where did the flowers come from?" he asks.  
  
"They’re just wildflowers. I picked them while I was waiting for you."  
  
"Are those for Lopresti, too?" he teases.  
  
"Don’t be ridiculous," Holly retorts. Taking a deep breath, she works hard to bring her temper back under control. Using a more mild voice, she says, "I thought, maybe, we might make a quick stop at the cemetery. He can place them on Grandma’s grave."  
  
Gary tilts his head curiously.  
  
"To give him some closure," she explains.  
  
"Holly, I’m not sure there’ll be time for that."  
  
She shrugs her shoulders. "It was just a thought. We can play it by ear."  
  
Gary gestures towards the bouquet. "Just one? Nothing for my grave?"  
  
Holly blinks in surprise. "Honestly, that never even occurred to me."  
  
"I'll try not to be offended."  
  
"No, no, you don't understand," she tells him in a rush. "It’s not like I wasn't thinking of you." She pauses, then elaborates, "It's because I'm _always_ thinking of you."  
  
Gary smiles serenely at her touching declaration. Quietly, he vows, "I'll always be here for you when you need me."  
  
"I know you will," a grateful Holly replies. Her demeanor shifts once again, and she bitterly adds, "Contrary to what those idiotic shrinks keep trying to tell me." With a sigh, she looks up at the guard towers, looming high in distance. For the hundredth time, she replays her plan over in her mind.  
  
"It’s now or never, Holly."  
  
She nods her head confidently. "It’s now."  
  
Holly secures the Tupperware container into the crook of her arm, then locks the car’s doors. After stuffing the keys into her pants pocket, she turns toward the road and motions for Gary to follow.  
  
"C’mon," she eagerly commands. "Let’s raise a little hell."  
  
Then the two of them walk across the clearing together, leaving behind a single set of footprints in the morning dew.


End file.
